CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a Tilehurst recreation ground want people to descend on the park on Saturday in a show of strength.

The group have called an action day under the heading ‘Don't Wreck our Rec' after Reading Borough Council announced proposals to grab a chunk of Blagrave Recreation Ground to build a new school.

The £6 million plan would amalgamate Park Lane Primary School's four sites into one campus, which would be on the site of the Laurels infant annexe in Corwen Road and would use about 40 per cent of Blagrave Rec as a school playing field.

Under the proposals a new library, health

clinic, school nursery and police facility would also be built and the existing Blagrave nursery school, situated on the recreation ground itself, demolished.

When the idea was first mooted Reading's education boss, councillor Jo Lovelock, called the proposals an "exciting" development.

The new school would house 12 fewer pupils but the councillor hoped Tilehurst people would welcome the idea with the only barrier to its go ahead being to convince the Charity Commission that the change of land use is acceptable under the terms of a 100-year-old bequeathment that states the whole of Blagrave Rec should be for Tilehurst's under 14s.

However, campaigners from Tilehurst Go Local on a Better Environment (Globe) believe the land grab would take the heart out of the park and threaten to turn it into a redundant common.

Liz Ellis, who chairs the campaign group, said: "We have done our homework and we know that a large number of local people don't approve of this scheme.

"We are asking them to come out on Saturday to reinforce this view."

Spokeswoman Jenny Cottee, and member of Globe, added: "People use different areas of the park and to threaten that would be like taking its heart away - no one would use it anymore.

"It's the best local park in Reading and we would challenge anyone to find a better one - it's so safe for the children.

"We are fighting this for them.

"The youngsters we have spoken to are shocked by the idea. Many have said if part of it goes they won't use it again."

Anyone wanting to support the campaign group should meet at Blagrave recreation ground at 11am and 3pm.